Combined chair and table unit for infants



Nov. 5, 1957 G. B. HANSBURG 2,812,012

COMBINED CHAIR AND TABLE UNIT FOR INFANTS I Filed Sept. 22, 1954 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Tl Q1.

INVENTOR George BJflmsm zy ATTO R N EYS Nov. 5, 1957 Filed Sept. 22, 1954 G. B. HANSBURG 2,812,012

COMBINED CHAIR AND TABLE UNIT FOR INFANTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HHI HIIIHHIHH HI IIIIIIIIHIIHIII I INVENTOR Geo/ye B. Han/5511139 Jew? WWW

ATTO R N EYS Nov. 5, 1957 G. B. HANSBURG v 2v COMBINED CHAIR AND TABLE UNIT FOR INFANTS Filed Sept. 22, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet a I N VE N TO R George BHansbufiy ATTORNEY United States Patent C COMBINED CHAIR AND TABLE UNIT FOR INFANTS George B. Hansburg, Walker Valley, N. Y.

Application September 22, 1954, Serial No. 457,642

4 Claims. (Cl. 155-123) This invention relates to the art of childrens furniture and more particularly to a combined chair and table unit for infants.

As conducive to an understanding of the invention it is noted that when a young child is seated in the conventional combined chair and table unit such as of the type shown in Patent No. 2,161,657, dated June 6, 1939, in which the chair is located in the center of the table and has only one fixed position with respect to the latter, in addition to only a portion of the table being available for toys and games, as the movement of the child is restricted it often becomes restless and irritable.

lt is accordingly among the objects of the invention to provide a combined chair and table unit which is neat, compact, relatively light in weight and though it may readily be collapsed for ease in transportation, is sturdy and long lasting and will provide a secure support for the child seated therein, which unit in addition to having utility during feeding of the child, also serves as an exercise device and will permit movement of the child while seated in the chair portion of the unit for ready access to any portion of the table so that it may conveniently reach articles thereon without in any way endangering the safety of the child, and which unit may readily be converted into a substantially conventional.

table having an uninterrupted top surface and also may readily be disassembled for removal of the chair portion of the unit for use as separate seat for the child apart from the unit.

supported by four legs 11 which are pivotally connected at their upper ends as at 12 to brackets 13 affixed to the undersurface of the panel 14 and the brackets 13 are so positioned that the legs 11 may be folded so that they are substantially parallel to the panel for ease in transportation. The lower end of each of the legs 11 has a caster 14 mounted thereon to facilitate movement of the unit. Suitable links 15 are associated with each pair of legs 11 and brackets 13 to lock the legs 11 in open position.

The panel 10 is provided with a large opening 18 in its center, preferably circular as shown, in which the infants chair 19 is positioned. The chair 19 is so supported that it may readily be rotated in the opening 18 and also may readily be removed from said opening.

To this end, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a circular track or rail 21 preferably of tubular stock and of a diameter greater than that of opening 18 is suspended According to the invention, the unit comprises a panel or table portion supported on legs above the floor. A chair is positioned in an opening in the center of the panel and is so suspended that it may readily be rotated in a complete circle. The chair is so mounted that it may readily be removed from the table portion of the unit and the opening in the panel may be closed by a removable insert.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown one or more of various possible embodiments of the several features of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the unit,

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the undersurface of the chair portion of the unit,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the supporting frame for the chair,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the insert for the opening in the table, I

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the hand rail, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating one typical use of the chair portion of the unit. I

Referring now to the drawings, the unit comprises a table surface, desirably a circular panel 10 of any suitable rigid material, which may readily be cleaned to remove food particles, liquids and dirt. The panel 10 is beneath such opening by means of a plurality of brackets 22 affixed to the undersurface of the panel 10 as by screws 23.

Supported on the rail 21 is a frame 24 shown in Fig. 5. The frame 24 desirably comprises a metal strip 25 having a base portion 26 and a metal strip 27 aifixed at one end as at 28 to the mid point of base portion 26 and extending at'right angles therefrom. Each endof the base portion 26 and the free end of strip 27 has an upstanding leg 29, the upper portion of which has an outwardly extending lateral arm 31 with a finger 32 rising therefrom. Aflixed to each of the fingers 32 and extending outwardly therefrom is a pin 33 on which a roller 34 is rotatably mounted, said rollers riding on the rail 21 as shown in Fig. 2, rotatably to mount the frame 24, the upstanding legs 29 of which define a cradle.

The infants chair 1% which is positioned in the cradle defined by legs 29 desirably comprises a seat portion 36 which rests on the base portion 26 and strip 27. Although the chair 19 may be secured in the cradle in any suitable manner, in the illustrative embodiment herein shown, a plurality of pins 37 protrude beyond the undersurface of seat portion 36 (Fig. 4) and fit into corresponding openings 37' in the base portion 26. A link 40 is pivoted at one end as at 40 to the undersurface of said seat portion 36 and may be moved beneath strip 27 so that its free end 50 engages pin 50 securely yet removably to retain the chair in position.

The chair 19 is provided with a foot rest 53 which is positioned between the lower ends of a pair of bars 49 pivotally connected at their upper ends to brackets 48 mounted on the undersurface of seat portion 36 near the front edge thereof. Each of the bars 49 has a longitudinal slot 51 extending substantially the length thereof with a plurality of inclined notches 52 extending into the slot 51.

The angle of inclination of the bars 49 may be adjusted by means of a bail 56, the free ends of the legs 57 of which are pivotally mounted as at 58 to the brackets 48 and the cross piece 59 of which may be positioned in the desired pair of transversely aligned notches 52 in bars 49. The angle of inclination of the foot rest 53 may also be adjusted by means of a bail 61, the free ends of the legs 62 of which are pivotally mounted as at 63 in fingers 64 alfixed to and depending from the foot rest 53 and the cross piece 65 of which may be positioned in the desired pair of transversely aligned notches 52 in bars 49.

The foot rest 53 desirably has upstanding ears 54 at each end near its rear edge. Thus when the angle of inclination of the foot rest is set and a wing nut 55 screwed and tightened on the ends of a bolt passed through each of the ears 54 and through a notch 52 in the respective bars, the foot restwill be securely retained in position.

Rising from the rear of the seat portion 36 is a back rest 38 which extends above the panel Ill as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. The back rest 38 has a pair of arms 39 near its upper end which normally extend parallel to the upper surface of panel and are spaced therefrom.

Pivotally mounted at one end as at 41 to each of the arms 39 and extending parallel thereto is a metal strip 42, the free ends 43 of which extend beyond the edge of open ing 18 and support a tray 44 therebetween. To retain the tray 44 spaced from the panel 10, the strips 42 are provided with stop members 44 preferably formed integral therewith which rest on the arms 39 to limit the pivotal movement of the strips.

With the construction above described, it is readily apparent that the chair 19 may be rotated around the rail 21. In order to retain the chair in fixed position during feeding of the infant, for example, suitable locking means are provided. Such locking means as shown in Fig. 2, may comprise a bolt 71 slidably mounted in a suitable support 72 affixed to one of the bracket 22 and movable into locking engagement with a receiver 73 mounted on the arm 31 of the strip 27.

In order to assist the infant seated in chair 19 to rotate such chair, a hand rail 74 is provided which may readily be grasped by the infant to rotate the chair, thus providing exercise for the infant and permitting it to reach any part of the table portion of the unit. The rail is preferably of tubular metal stock and is positioned between the panel 10 and the arms 39 of the chair. Although the hand rail 74 may be mounted in any suitable manner, it illustratively is supported by means of brackets 75 aifixed at one end as by screws 76 to the wall of the opening 18 in panel 10.

The unit above described may readily be converted into a table by pivoting link 40 away from pin 50 and lifting the chair out of the cradle. The hand rail may be removed by merely unscrewing the screws 76.

The insert 81 shown in Fig. 6 is then positioned in opening 18, the latter having an annular shoulder 82 on which a corresponding annular flange 83 of the insert may be positioned so that the top of the insert will be flush with the top of the panel 10. The insert is then locked in place by pivoting the resilient locking arms 84 mounted on the undersurface of the insert 81 so that they are beneath the panel adjacent the periphery of opening 18.

As the infants chair 19 is readily detachable from the cradle 24, it may also be used as an independent unit.

Thus, as shown in Fig. 8, by providing hanger arms 85 1 on the back rest 38, the infants chair may be supported from the top of a conventional kitchen chair 86 or if desired, may be used in an automobile being suspended from the upper edge of the back rest of the automobile seat.

With the construction above described, a highly useful unit is provided which has utility as a feeding unit, an exercise unit and a play table and which also may readily be disassembled for use of the chair portion of the unit as a separate article.

As many changes could be made in the above construction, and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A table having an opening in the top thereof, a circular track carried by said table and lying in a plane substantially parallel to said table top and below the latter, a seat supporting frame having a base portion and upstanding means rising therefrom, a seat mounted on said base portion and means carried by said upstanding means and adapted to ride on said track rotatably to mount the seat supporting frame thereon, the upper surface of said mounting means being spaced from the track and the undersurface of said table top to provide clearance to permit removal of said frame from said track.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which complementary pins and openings are provided in said base portion and the undersurface of said seat to position the seat on said frame and complementary means on said seat and said frame releasably to lock the seat to the frame.

3, A table having an opening in the top thereof, a circular track carried by said table coaxial with said opening and lying in aplane substantially parallel to said table top and below the latter, a seat supporting frame having a base portion and a plurality of upstanding members rising therefrom and positioned inwardly of said track, a seat mounted on said base portion, each of said members at its upper end having a roller extending outwardly therefrom and riding on said track rotatably to mount the seat supporting frame thereon, said rollers being spaced from the undersurface of said table top to provide clearance to permit removal of said frame from said track.

4. A table having an opening in the top thereof, a circular track carried by said table coaxial with said opening and lying in a plane substantially parallel to said table top and below the latter, a seat supporting frame comprising a substantially U-shaped member having a cross piece lying in a plane substantially parallel to said table top and positioned beneath the latter and a pair of upwardly extending legs, and a substantially L-shaped member having the end of one of its legs afilxcd to the cross piece of said U-shaped member and lying in substantially the same plane as said cross piece, and the other-leg extending upwardly therefrom, said cross piece and the leg of the L-shaped member afiixed thereto defining the base portion of said frame, said upwardly extending legs being positioned inwardly of said track, a roller carried by the upper end of each of said upwardly extending legs and extending outwardly therefrom and riding on said track rotatably to mount the seat supporting frame thereon, said rollers being spaced from the undersurface of said table top to provide clearance to permit removal of said frame. from said track, a seat mounted on said base portion, complementary pins and openings provided in said base portion and the undersurface of said seat to position the seat on said frame and means on said seat coacting with the leg of said base portion atfixed to said cross piece releasably to lock the seat on said frame.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 163,619 McKean June 12, 1951 213,108 Harrison Mar. 11, 1879 217,652 Swain July 15, 1879 238,226 French Mar. 1, 1881. 585,714 Spaet July 6, 1897 682,916 Curtis Sept. 17, 1901 715,667 Kenny Dec. 9, 1902 1,266,471 Howard et a1 a- May 14, 1918 1,280,464 Hermann Oct. 1, 1918 2,161,657 Hansburg June 6, 1939 2,318,475 Ellner May 4, 1943 2,394,141 Braden Feb. 5, 1946 2,468,856 Alexander May 3, 1949 2,481,725 Culley et a1 Sept. 13, 1949 2,533,019 Ketcham Dec. 5, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 946,104 France May 24, 1949 

